Xenical Faq's to help you know more about weight loss

Xenical is a prescription weight loss drug designed to help significantly with weight loss and weight management.

What is Xenical?

Xenical, with Orlistat as its active ingredient, is a new type of obesity medication, which acts in the stomach as well as the small intestines in the digestive tract. Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor that helps prevent about 30% of the dietary-fat from being digested; elimination of the undigested fat in the bowel movements reduces calorie-intake. A calorie-controlled diet and regular physical exercise, helps in optimum weight reduction. Xenical has been specifically designed for clinically obese patients, with a body mass index of 30+.

Is Xenical a magic pill?

No. Xenical is a prescription medication that helps a person lose weight gradually and effectively. Losing weight is not easy and combining Xenical with healthy eating, regular physical activity and the will power to keep going, helps achieve significant weight loss. Once the calorie intake is reduced and regular physical activity is carried out in combination with Xenical therapy, only then will you start to see positive weight loss results.

Do I need to take Xenical with a low fat diet?

Xenical is known to work only in the presence of dietary fat in the body. It is therefore recommended that this drug be taken with each main meal contain a certain amount of fat for positive weight loss results. If you are unsure of the amount of fat in your main meal, contact your pharmacist, doctor or practice nurse for guidance.

How does Xenical work on body fat?

Orlistat, the active ingredient in Xenical, is not absorbed into the bloodstream but works locally in the stomach and the small intestines. Orlistat prevents the action of two compounds, gastric and pancreatic lipases. These compounds normally aid in the break down of ingested fats in the diet.

These fats are made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream; hence, they need to be broken down into smaller molecules; gastric and pancreatic lipases in the gut carry out this function.

Orlistat prevents gastric and pancreatic lipases from acting on about 30% of the ingested fat. This means the body cannot use this undigested fat as a source of energy, or convert it into fat tissue. Instead, it is excreted as faeces. This aids weight loss.

Xenical works best when used in conjunction with increased physical activity and a reduced calorie diet.

Will Xenical work on a low fat diet?

Yes, Xenical does work on a low fat diet also as most foods do contain some amount of fat. However, Xenical should always be taken with a well balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat; in fact, the daily intake of fat, carbohydrate and protein should be evenly distributed over the three main meals. Xenical treatment will provide optimum benefits when it taken with low fat foods.